Supreme Court grants bail to Soni Sori

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Tribal teacher Soni Sori and journalist Lingaram Kodopi in a case lodged against them for allegedly receiving money from Essar Group on behalf of Maoists.

The Apex Court passed the order on their appeal against a Chhattisgarh High Court order denying them bail.

The 36-year-old Sori and her activist-nephew Kodopi (25) were arrested on charges of acting as Maoist conduits who had allegedly received protection money for the rebels from Essar Group in Chhattisgarh.

According to police, Kodopi and BK Lala, a building contractor with Essar Steel Ltd, were nabbed from a weekly market at Palnar village in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on September 9, 2011, with Rs 15 lakh in cash, which was allegedly meant to be paid to Maoists.

Police had claimed that Sori was also associated with Kodopi, but had managed to flee the spot.

Sori was arrested on October 4, 2011, in New Delhi. Essar Steel Ltd General Manager DVCS Verma was also arrested in connection with the case.

A Dantewada district court had granted bail to Verma and contractor Lala.